Ciccarello has game-tying, shootout-winning goals
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The NMU hockey team ended the 24/25 season in maybe the most dramatic way possible, downing the Bulldogs in the shootout.
In a regular season finale that was delayed a half an hour due to senior celebrations and a lengthy celebration of legendary head coach Bob Daniels behind the bench in what could have been the final home game of his career, this game had no shortage of dramatics.
Thanks to a pair of power play goals from Grayden Slipec in the second, the Wildcats held a two to one lead heading into the third period. Ferris tied the game seven minutes into the final frame, but Aidyn Hutchinson responded two minutes later to put the ‘Cats back on top with less than five minutes to play.
The final minute and six seconds were nothing short of spectacular. The Bulldogs tied the game with the goalie pulled just north of a minute remaining before walking down and scoring the go-ahead goal just 22 seconds later, shocking the Wildcats and sending the packed Ewigeleben Ice Arena into a frenzy. Ferris State held a 4-3 lead with 44 seconds left.
Time was winding down and it looked like the Bulldogs were on their way to finishing off a dramatic comeback on senior night, and the Wildcats threw a shot on goal with just under 10 seconds to go. West went to cover the puck, the Wildcats jammed away and scored, the refs immediately waved the goal off, and a giant scrum ensued.
Head coach Dave Shyiak initiated a coaches challenge to see if the continuous play rule applied. After a lengthy review, the officials deemed there was a continuous motion, and awarded Danny Ciccarello the game-tying goal with six seconds left. Head coach Daniels would counter with a goalie interference challenge, a review that took substantially less time, and the Wildcats goal stood.
After five minutes of a scoreless three-on-three overtime, the game ended in a 4-4 tie, and the extra CCHA point would be decided in a shootout. Hutchinson and McGrath scored in the second round, but it would take six more rounds to determine the winner.
In round eight, after Doell was denied by Ryan Ouellette, Ciccarello stepped onto the ice with a chance to end the game. A decisive shot to the five-hole and Ciccarello became the hero, burying the game-deciding goal in the eighth round of the shootout after tying the game with just seconds to play.
Slipec (10-9–19) recorded his third multi-goal game, second three-point night, and second game with two or more PPGs in one evening in his career. Slipec ends the season holding the team lead in goals, PPGs (6), and a tie for first in points.
Tied atop the Wildcats for points is Jakub Altrichter (3-16–19), who recorded his sixth career multi-point game tonight, fifth with two or more assists.
Hutchinson (4-6–10) snapped a seven-game point drought and 14-game goalless drought with his fourth tally of the season.
Ciccarello (1-4–5) waited until the last possible moment to get his first as a ‘Cat, scoring his first in an NMU sweater along with the shootout game-winner.
Tynan Ewart (1-10–11) recorded a pair of assists on the evening, snapping a nine-game point drought to finish first among NMU defensemen in points, second among all Wildcat skaters in assists, and third on the team in points behind Slipec and Altrichter.
Jesse Tucker (3-5–8) recorded an assist tonight as he finishes his senior season with five points in his final six games.
NMU moved to 4-2-1 when scoring first, 2-1-1 when leading after one, 4-0-1 when leading after two periods, and 2-0 in shootouts.
This marked the second time all season the Wildcats scored four goals in one game, the only other time being a 4-1 win over Bemidji State.
There were a plethora more penalties after a combined three were called all game on Friday; the teams combined for 12 penalties on the night and a combined 35 penalty minutes. NMU was 2/8 on the man advantage and 3/4 on the penalty kill.
NMU hockey would like to thank you for supporting them all throughout the season, and cannot wait to see everyone again later this year.
How It Happened
The Wildcats opened the scoring on the power play, as Slipec let go a wrister from the point that found its way through traffic and beat West by the glove hand on the far side.
The Bulldogs tied it on a man-advantage of their own just two minutes later. Gault received a cross-seam pass in the left circle and fired home a wrister through a screen.
Slipec doubled up his goal total in the evening, converting on another Wildcat power play just a minute before the second period expired. Altrichter gathered the loose puck in the left circle and had everyone in the building thinking he was going to shoot, before sliding a pass over to a wide-open Slipec who made no mistake in depositing his second tally of the evening.
The Bulldogs tied the game with just under seven minutes to go, as a centering pass from behind the net inadvertently deflected off a stick and redirected through the legs of Ouellette.
Two minutes later, Slipec made a move around his defender to earn a two-on-one. A perfect pass to Hutchinson, and the Wildcats regained their lead with five minutes to play.
In a shocking turn of events, the Bulldogs scored two goals in 22 seconds with a minute left to play, tying the game at three and taking a one-goal lead with 44 seconds left.
A mad scramble in front, Ciccarello was credited with the goal that sent the game to overtime, tying the contest with just six seconds remaining.
It took eight rounds of a shootout, but it was Ciccarello who called game.
